


Spellbound

by Sugargirl4245710



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Hidden Magic, Loki - Freeform, Romance, magician
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-03-01 06:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18795106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugargirl4245710/pseuds/Sugargirl4245710
Summary: Yedda's always had a crush on the Dark Prince, but when she gets hired as a maid for the royal family it only grows. However, that's not her only problem.





	1. Chapter 1

The Allfather stared down his nose at me. When I had dropped my application into the mailbox at the end of the road, giggling with my friends about the princes, I hadn’t expected it to be accepted. 

“Do you have professional experience as a maid?” He asked. I shrunk back in my seat. For an old man, he was terrifying.

“No,” I stuttered, “not professional. But I have cooked and cleaned in my father’s estate for years.” 

“You’re hired.” said a distinctly feminine voice from behind me. I turned around to see Queen Frigga. Only my first day in the castle and I had already met the two most powerful people in the Nine Realms. 

“Thank you, your majesties.” I stood and curtsied. 

“I’ll expect you to get to work immediately.” Odin said from behind me. I whirled to face him.

“R-right now? But I don’t have anything-”

“The throne will provide everything. A letter and your first paycheck will be sent to your parents at the end of the week.” He said with an air of finality. I couldn’t believe it. I had gotten one of the best jobs in the kingdom because I did chores at my house! I walked out the door, and realized that I was much darker than all the noblemen and women in the castle. I also realized that I had no idea where to go, so I wandered in the general direction where I thought that the servant’s quarters were. 

As the day dragged on and I still hadn’t found it, I started getting more and more worried. Was this going to cost me my newfound job? I sat down against the wall in a relatively quiet hallway and buried my head in my arms. Day one- not even- and I was lost.

Footsteps boomed down the hallway towards me. I leapt to my feet and tried to look busy, although that was hard when I had tears on my face. 

“Fair maiden, could you direct me towards the nearest maid?” Thor said. 

“I am a maid, your highness.” I said, curtsying.  _ Thor called me fair!  _ He’s not half as beautiful as his brother, but it was still a compliment. “What do you need, sir?” I asked.

“I require someone to clean Mjolnir.” he said. I nodded and trailed after him. The tapestries on the wall portrayed stories of conquests of wild species, the marriage of Frigga and Odin, and the fortunes that were told about Thor. I peer towards the end of the hallway, expecting to see a similar one for Prince Loki, but I saw no such thing. There was a door under the tapestry about Thor’s birth and it swung open as he approached. Thor strolled inside as if he owned the place which, I realized, he did. 

“The hammer’s over there,” he pointed towards what looked to me like a hunk of metal on a stick, “Once you need to clean the other side, let me know.” He collapsed onto a couch. I only then noticed how worn out he looked. There was a soft cloth and a bottle of blue fluid next to the hammer that I assumed was for cleaning it. I softly rubbed the cloth on the metal, trying to go quickly so that he didn’t fall asleep.

“Sir, I need you to move it.” I say softly. He groaned and stood up. I feel my face turn red, and I’m not altogether sure why. I don’t even find Thor that attractive. He lifted it with ease, and I quickly wiped it down. Thor limped back over to the couch.

“Sir? Do you need anything?” I said, resting my hands behind my back.

“No you’re… free to go.” He replied. When I stepped into the hallway, a dark figure was striding with purpose towards me. I put my head down and hurried past him when I realized it was Loki. My face lit up with a blush and I sincerely hoped that mind reading wasn’t one of his traits. I couldn’t believe I was walking next to Pr-

_ Stupid… lightning… brother _ . I stopped in my tracks and whirled around. I swear to the gods, the prince just said something.

“Sir? Did you say something?” He stopped too.

“No. And if you know what’s best for you, you’ll keep moving.” I stood there, confused.

“Are you sure? I could have sworn…”

“Who are you?”

“Yedda. I work here.”

“Well,  _ Yedda _ , soon you’ll learn not to meddle in matters that doesn’t concern you.” he spit.

“I’m sorry, sir.” 

“Loki!” came from the end of the hall. I turned around to see Queen Frigga, who was quickly becoming my guardian angel. “Apologize.” I blushed and stared at my feet.

“I don’t think I will, actually.” He says, before storming back down the hallway. Maybe my friends were right. I had always said that he had “hidden depths” and things like that, but maybe he was just an asshole. I looked up and realized that Frigga was right next to me. 

“I’m sorry about him. He just gets into these moods…” She stared down the hallway sadly.

“Ma’am?” I felt my stomach twist into a knot. “I don’t know where I’m supposed to go.”

“Ah! That’s what I came here to do.” She led me back down the hallway and turned right. There was a wooden door at the end of the hallway and we walked through it only to encounter another hallway. This went on for a while, twisting and turning and going through grand doors and rickety ones, until we made it to a final door. She pushed it open and I walked by her, but she stopped me before I could go in completely.

“Please do give my son another chance. He can be very sweet.” I smile awkwardly and walk by her into the servant’s wing.

oOo

Frigga’s POV:

I stared after the girl as she hurried through the wooden door. I knew, as soon as I walked into her interview, that she was going to do great things for this realm. I turned around and walked to Loki’s room. It was a floor above the servant’s quarters, a petty slight by my husband. The door swung open for me, as all did, and I sat on my son’s bed and waited.

The girl’s aura was in the back of my mind the whole time. Based purely on the aura, she seemed to be one of the most powerful magicians of our time, but so far I hadn’t seen her do anything extraordinary. The aura was a light, pleasant, lavender color that looked lovely beside my son’s deep green.

There’s a theory created by ancient Midgardian philosophers that when two people’s auras compliment each other, they would fall in love before a year and a day. Probably nonsense, but an interesting idea nonetheless. 

oOo

Yedda’s POV

As soon as I walked into the room, a plump red-face lady ran over to me.

“You must be the new girl! I’ve been waiting for you. Did you get lost?” She asked. I was a bit flustered by the sudden rush of noise and heat, but I managed to get out a quiet “Yeah.”

“Perfectly alright, dear. Everyone does. Come over here, let me do your hair.” She pulled me aside and pulled a bejeweled comb out of one of her many apron pockets. She took my hair out of its bun and combed it. I could already tell that this comb was gifted by the royal family. It wasn’t anything that could be afforded, even with a royal maid’s high salary. She then started to pull my hair into a complicated braid. I saw that every other girl in the laundry room- which I assumed this was based on the warm springs filled with clothes- had their hair in a bun similar to the one the woman was putting in my hair.

“I’m Margo, dear. Go through that door,” she pointed to another wooden door on the other side of the room where girls were carrying clean laundry, “to fold laundry. When that bell,” she handed a small bell engraved with my name on it to me, “rings, you have to read who’s summoning you, which will replace your name. When  _ I  _ ring your bell, that means you have to report to me. Seems a bit complicated, but you get used to it.” I nodded mutely as she tied an apron on me. I shoved the bell in my pocket and made my way into the folding room. I stood at a basket full of towels and methodically made my way through it, before pushing the pile into the chute labelled “towels”. 

I was interrupted from my folding when my bell rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and peered at the name on it.  _ Allmother, kitchen. _ I walked out of the laundry room and found Margo.

“Where’s the kitchen?” 

“Back through the folding room, there’s another door.” I nodded and thanked her, before walking back through. The Allmother greeted me with a tray holding several containers and a sandwich wrapped in wax paper.

“Where should I take this, your Highness?” I asked, already scared. Unless she was having me take it to Thor’s room, there was no way I was getting there any time soon. 

“My son’s room.” 

“Which one, ma’am?” 

“Oh! Loki. It’s just down the hall from Thor’s, you should know where it is.” My heart dropped out of my chest.

“I’ll be on my way, ma’am.”

oOo

As I walked down the hallway again, I felt my stomach twist into knots. Naturally, my first real assignment was to take food to my crush who thinks I “meddle”. I stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath, before knocking lightly. 

“Hello?” A frustrated voice called.

“Sir? I have your dinner. Your mother sent me.” I responded.

“Leave it outside. Actually, come in here. I need your help.” I look quizzically down the hallway as though Queen Frigga could rescue me again. 

“Ok, sir.” I place the tray on the ground and push the door open. Prince Loki is bent over a book, staring at it as though that would make it reveal its secrets. 

“Come here.” he says, waving me over without looking up from his book. “What do you think this means?” he points to an underlined passage in his book. 

**_These violent delights have violent ends,_ **

**_And in their triumph die; like fire and powder,_ **

**_Which, as they kiss, consume: the sweetest honey_ **

**_Is loathsome in his own deliciousness,_ **

**_And in the taste confounds the appetite:_ **

**_Therefore love moderately: long love doth so._ **

“Is this… The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet?” I ask, looking at him and back to the book.

“Yes, what about it?”

“It’s a classic, you really haven’t read it til now?” 

“My apologies, I was reading  _ Asgardian  _ texts. Anyways, who are you to judge my readings?” I looked at him again and the tips of his ears were slightly pink. Probably because he was mad at me. 

“Do you not understand what the point is or the metaphors?”

“The point! Why does the Friar feel the need to talk to Romeo about all the risks?” 

“In my personal opinion, it’s because the Friar is an adult and thinks he’s smarter. He’s telling them to be careful about the way they love.”

“But he’s marrying them.” 

“He’s not telling them not to love, he’s telling them to be careful as they do it. No one really knows why though. Shakespeare died so there’s no real way to tell what he means.” I can tell I’m getting sappy, but Romeo and Juliet is one of my favorites.

Loki’s getting visibly frustrated. “He has no right! They gave him a job and he’s not doing it!” I give him a sideways glance.

“You’re right, he shouldn’t have done that, but have you ever  _ met _ adults? They feel smarter than us for no reason.” I stood up and walked back over to the door. I was about to open the door when I felt something brush against my leg. I must have jumped about a mile in the air, and I heard chuckles from the prince but when I looked up he was still staring at his book.

“Who’s this?” I ask, once I realized that the thing that brushed against my leg was a cat, not a demon. I picked it up and started petting it as it started purring in my arms.

“That’s my cat. Her name is Salem.”

I laugh. “Salem like the witch trials?” 

“Y-” The door slammed open behind me, causing me to jump again and drop Salem. The Allfather is at the door. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Loki!” The Allfather yelled. I flinched and backed up til I’m against the wall. Loki stood up quickly and his chair fell backwards. 

“Yes, Father?”

“I know what you did.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The door stays open, and I peer past Odin to see the general of the army holding the door, and Frigga behind him.

“You stole a copy of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet!” when Odin had interviewed me he had been intimidating, sure, but the pure rage he had on his face made it seem like the prince had done a capital offence. 

“It was in the library, Father.” He said calmly, as though he was used to it. Maybe he is. Maybe Odin isn’t the great leader the realm thinks he is. 

“I don’t care! You have studies that you must finish before you read!” 

“I finished my studies.” 

“You still-”

“If I may intercede,” I budged in. I knew it was not my conversation, but I also know that I wouldn’t stand for Odin treating the prince this way. “He did tell you that he finished his studies and that he got it from the library. There are no other good reasons of why he can’t read the book.” I knew as soon as I said it that I would regret it. Odin stepped up to me, and- though I felt like crying- I didn’t stop glaring at him. Frigga ran into the room and started tugging on Odin’s elbow and Thor ran to Loki. 

“Did I ask you?” He roars.

“No, sir. But-”

“So why did you feel the need to comment on how I choose to raise my children?” 

oOo

Loki‘s POV

“Yelling at your kids for doing something they’re allowed to do isn’t a very good parenting strategy.” Yedda stomped her foot. I kept looking from her to my father, back and forth, like I was watching one of those Midgardian ping pong ball games. I knew that I should be grateful to her, but all I could think about was what happened to me the last time I tried to stand up for myself.

“He stole it! He had no right to take it!” Father seemed like he was grasping at straws, trying to prove that I’m a terrible person, but I knew the girl was not going to win this battle. Father was, after all, the ruler of everything and everyone.

“He stole it… from the library? Even if he did steal it, he is the God of Mischief! You don’t yell at Prince Thor for using lightning!”

“That’s it. General Hugo, take her to the courtyard. I will deal with her later.” She didn’t struggle when the general put his hand on her shoulders and led her out, though she did glare at Father’s back. Father walked over to me, and I flinched. 

“Give me. The book.” I handed it over, though I didn’t want to. I was still early on, and it was a good read, better now that I had something good to associate with it.  He stormed out the door, muttering about firing Yedda, and I walked over to Salem in the corner. I hoped he didn’t fire Yedda, her take on the Friar was quite interesting. Thor was still standing awkwardly behind my desk.

“Are you ok, brother?” I stood up and faced him.

“Of course, why do you ask?”

“I don’t know, you just seem… upset.”

“Well, I’m not, so you can go... leave me alone.” I snapped at him. He looked hurt, but I didn’t care. It would take a lot more for him to even get an idea of what Father does to me. 

 

oOo

Yedda’s POV

The general- “Hugo”- led me into a vast courtyard. I was told to wait under a tree, and as the hours ticked on, I felt more and more anxious. A few times, I saw someone- Loki or otherwise- walk by the windows. I felt absolutely awful. I decided to jeopardize my first job on a childhood crush? 

I sat like that, hating myself for a while, before the general came back. He led me to a small garden, where the royal family was sitting in front of a tree. Unfortunately, I recognized it from studies. 

This was a golden apple tree,  surrounded by a bush of some sort. The tree itself was gigantic, at least a head taller than Prince Thor. 

“Since you felt the need to govern how I raise my children, your punishment is to pick three golden apples from the tree.” That punishment didn’t make sense at all, especially when he made it seem like the punishment was specially made for me. I nodded at him and turned around. There was a basket near the bottom of the bush, and as I went to get it, I pricked myself on one of the thorns. It stung a lot, much more than a normal thorne would. I waited impatiently for it to stop bleeding, but after five minutes, I decided to just keep going. I walked around the outside of the bush, looking for an entrance

oOo

Frigga’s POV

As the time ticked on, I felt my anxiety for this girl rise. If she was sent home and felt resentful towards the crown, there’s no way to tell what would happen to Asgard. Perhaps I should have taken this matter to my husband, but he never believed anything about magic- more specifically, magic involving Loki. 

The girl sat down near the fifteen minute mark. I saw the bush start to part and the tree start to bend, but I doubted Odin or Thor noticed. When I looked over at Loki, however, I could tell he had seen. Odin looked supremely pleased with himself, and I could feel a bit of dread curdle in my stomach. When Odin’s smug, bad things happen.

“Well, girly. If you can’t even pick three apples from a tree, why should you tell me what to do with my children?” I could see, even from there, the rage growing on Yedda’s face. She seemed like a sweet girl, but from what I could tell, when she got mad, she was  _ mad. _ And she was so powerful, we don’t want that. Odin didn’t stop. He kept taunting her until eventually she stood up. Loki and I both leaned backwards, and though she didn’t look like she knew what she was doing, Yedda put her hands up carefully. 

“With all due respect, your majesty, I might be able to work better in silence.” she said, seeming to choose everyone word all too carefully. Odin frowned at her.

“What do you think you’re doing,  _ girl _ ?” 

oOo

Yedda’s POV

“I… don’t know.” I say, bringing my hands down slightly. The Allfather laughed, actually  _ laughed _ , in my face. I could feel anger bubbling deep in my stomach. To spite him, I retook my stance- palms facing the tree, legs apart. It felt a little more natural for the situation, but I couldn’t place why. I saw Loki leaning away from me, and it gave me pause. Was I really scaring him? Did I want to do this? My gaze shifted back to Odin’s smug face, and I decided that yes, whatever was going on, I wanted to do it. 

I shut my eyes and _ pushed _ , just a little bit, and I felt the shift. All the plants near me grew. The tree leaned towards me, the grass shot up, and the silver thorned bush shrank. My hands started to glow a purple, so faint I wasn’t sure I was really seeing it. But that wasn’t the first thing I noticed.

The first thing I noticed was something within me. I felt like there was a part of me missing, and now it was here. And it made me  _ scared.  _ What had just happened was rushing towards me, and the reality of it all really struck me when I saw Odin’s expression. Priceless as it was, it was definitely fright. I looked away. He had seen so many things that a young maid shouldn’t frighten him, but I had to focus. I wanted desperately to hold onto my job. I focused on the tree, and a branch grew towards me, sprouting golden apples so large they fell off. I plucked three apples off the tree and dropped them into the basket, grinned deliriously at Loki, and fell into a dead faint.  


	3. Chapter 3

I noticed the soft bed underneath me before a pounding headache distracted me from it. I sit up, clutching my skull, trying to relieve the pain. 

“You doing alright there?” a familiar voice said. I hissed in pain and looked up at Prince Thor. My first thought is that I have a hangover, but when I see the small potted plant leaning towards me, it all comes rushing back. 

“What day is it?” I ask.

“You did your little ‘woo thing’ yesterday,” he said while wiggling his fingers,”if that’s what you mean.” 

“Woo thing? You mean magic?” 

“Yeah… That.” 

“Really, brother, you grow up with me and Mother and all you can call magic is a ‘little woo thing’?” Loki walked in with a towel around his waist. I looked away, blushing furiously, and stared at my hands. 

“Miss? Are you ok?” Thor asked.

“Prince Loki, with all due respect, I would prefer if you put on some clothes.”

With a green flash, the towel disappeared and is replaced with his customary green and black ensemble.

“Showoff.” I mumbled. I noticed a black dress at the foot of the bed. I still wasn’t sure where I was, or who’s bed I was laying in, but I could only hope that I had gotten here decently. I seemed to still be wearing my clothes, but one never knows with the royal family. 

“That’s your new uniform. Congratulations! You've gotten a promotion.” Thor said. I gave him a confused look, and he chuckled. 

“Promotion? What kind of promotion?” I ask. Loki raised an eyebrow at his brother.

“So, you haven't told her? You've had her here all night!” Thor frowned at his brother’s admonishment.

“I apologise, brother. I believed her to be in some sort of coma, so I wasn't really planning on waking her up.” Loki shook his head, but didn't say anything else. After a moment, I break the silence.

“Well, what is this promotion about?”

“You’re one of the Royal Maids.” Loki says, reclining on a leather couch. That’s when I realized that I was in Thor’s quarters, and that couch was where he had lain the day before whilst I had cleaned Mjolnir. Was it really only yesterday?

“I thought I already was a royal maid?”

“Not with capital letters!” Thor said excitedly. I looked at him strangely, before letting out a cry and curling up again. 

“Thor, when was the last time you  _ watered _ that poor plant?” I asked, ignoring his whole comment about “capital letters”. 

“I don’t know, maybe yesterday? The day before?” he says. 

“Saints, don’t you know anything about plants?” I snap. Maybe out of line, but really, who doesn’t know that plants need  _ water _ .

“I do! They need water and sunlight!” 

“They need water at least once a day, preferably with a self-watering system! You can’t water them once and then forget about it!” I say emphatically, before falling quiet. How did I know that? I never worked in the gardens at my father’s house. 

“Did you guys give me a crash course in plants while I was asleep?” I ask, genuinely frightened. I picked up information quickly, but not /that/ quickly. 

“I suspect you’re a plant witch. That’s how you suddenly know everything about plants.” said Loki, who looked to be painting his nails. 

My stomach drops out of my chest. “A-a witch?”

“Magician, really, but ‘witch’ sounds so much more intimidating.” Loki said, blowing on his nails. 

“Don’t magicians do… card tricks, and the like?” I ask, thinking back to the books I’d read. 

“Midgardian magicians. Really, they’ve tarnished the name.” He sounds genuinely annoyed. 

“Your promotion will include the same tasks as before, but you will be some of the first to attend to the royal family. You will also get some more delicate jobs, such as restocking the library and, for you specifically, tending to the garden.” Thor said grandly. I stared at my hands in my lap, and wondered how 15 seconds could have changed my whole life like that, as it was obvious my “promotion” was no coincidence. I clenched my hands into fists and looked up.

“When do I start?”

oOo

I walked behind Thor, blushing, to the Royal Maid’s quarters. There were 10 rooms, five on each side, stretching down a hallway.  Thor led me into the last one on the right side, and I stopped in the doorway. There were 2 wardrobes, 2 desks, 2 hooks that I guessed were for bells, and a bunk bed in the middle. There was a door leading from the back that I was guessing led to some sort of communal bathroom. One of the wardrobes was filled with so many clothes that they were spilling out of the doors. There was a stack of books and various types of plants on one of the desks, and the other had varying sizes of paintbrushes and other art supplies. I leaned against the wall and looked up at the artwork on the ceiling. It was clearly hand painted, no magic involved. 

“This is your new room, Miss. Frey-er-doitter.”

“The ‘r’ is silent, your majesty.” 

“What?” 

“It’s just pronounced ‘Frey-doitter’. No ‘r’.”

“My apologies, Miss. Freyrdoitter.” He responded, his face bright red. He did pronounce it correctly this time, though. I assumed that, based on the rules Prince Loki had lain out for me earlier meant that I could just stay here until my bell rang. I hung it up on the hook that didn’t seem to be worn at all, and decided to look through my wardrobe and the stack of books.

The closet had more of the same black dresses, 2 aprons, 2 more pairs of plain black slippers, and a more formal outfit. There was also a brown dress, gray apron, boots, and a sun hat set aside from the other clothing, that looked like a gardener would wear. I stepped inside the wardrobe- it was really quite large, and my feet hit something metal. It looked to be a watering can, with a basket nestled inside. I stepped out of the wardrobe and rifled through the drawer right next to it. There were packets of seeds along with more private things. I sighed.  _ Seems I’m to be the gardener. _

“It does seem that way, doesn’t it.” said a voice from behind me. I turned around and slammed the drawer shut. The Dark Prince was behind me.

“I’m sorry, did you ring? I wasn’t paying-” I started.

“No, I didn’t ring. I was simply wondering if you had looked at the books I left you.” 

“Not yet, sire. I just got here.” 

“Well, make sure you take a look at them.” I nodded and walked over to the stack. I expected him to leave, but his presence in my room didn’t waver. There were 5 books in a neat stack, all Midgardian classics. Pride & Prejudice, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. They were all hardcovers, and all were obviously taken from the castle library. I looked upon the covers with longing, and traced the engraved words with my fingers. I heard rustling and my gaze snapped up to one of the plants- a rose bush, evidently- which had sprouted and blossomed. 

“Looks as though my mother read you correctly.”

“Looks as though she did.” I felt the rose. It seemed normal, no Loki tricks. “I guess that’s it then. I really have magic.” it felt like the prince was boring holes into the back of my head. I reached up and took my hair out of its bun. “There wouldn’t happen to be a brush here, would there?” I asked, turning to face him. He was much nearer than I remembered. He reached around me an opened a drawer that had a mirror, a brush, soaps, perfumes, makeups, and a mirror. It seemed like a lot of unnecessary objects, but I supposed that the Royal Maids had much more extra time than I did at home. I grabbed the brush and the mirror and slipped away from the prince. 

Running the brush through my hair, I watched Loki through the mirror. He was staring, brow furrowed at the rose.

“How do you do that?”

I jumped. “Do what, your majesty?” 

“Make the plants grow.”

“I’m going to be completely honest, I have no idea.” I said, braiding my hair. “All I knew was I really wanted the King to be quiet and then…” I trailed off. The door slammed open, and a small pale boy with dark hair stood there. 

“Your majesty! What are you doing here?” 

“Filip. This is your new roommate, Yedda Freyrdoitter. Introduce her to the other maids.”

“Your majesty, please make sure Thor waters that poor plant.” I said, curtseying as he nodded and walked off. I stared after him with a sigh.

“Princes. Who gave them the right to look  _ that good _ .” Filip said. I had a feeling he wasn’t talking about Loki.

“Thor?” I asked.

“That obvious?” He responded sadly.

“I’m sure it’s not physically possible to be more obvious than me and Loki.”

“YOU TWO ARE-”

“No! I wish though. Do I have the top or bottom bunk?”

“Top. Cause I’m a-”

“Ok, ok!” A girl bursted in through the door, calling over her shoulder. She was also pale, and looked to be Filip’s twin.

“Filip! Do you know where- wait, who are you?” I was taken aback by the energy that these two had. I turned to Filip, who was grinning excitedly at the girl.

“She's new! Uh, Yedda? Right?” he turns to me and I give him a nod, “Yedda! She seems interesting, yeah?” The girl gives me a once over before giving me a smile.

“Yes, of course. I'm Elle.” Another girl bounds into the room, her looking less like the Filip and Elle. She had dark hair, but she wasn't nearly as pale. She actually looked quite similar to Heimdall, same fabled golden eyes and all.

“Wait, oh my gods. Are you the witch?” The pale girl asked eagerly.

“Elle! You can’t just ask people if they’re a witch.”  Filip admonished.

“Sorry.” She didn’t seem sorry at all.

“I do hate to be rude, but I have no idea who you are.” I  say apologetically.

“Oh! Right. I’m Filip, you know this, that’s my twin sister Elle, that’s Elle’s girlfriend- and roommate- Bette.” Filip declared.

“Filip! Don’t tell her that!”

“Why not? I just told her about me and Thor.”

“And that was incredibly stupid!”

“You guys aren’t from here, are you?” I asked. Any Asgardian who reacted badly for who someone chose to love would be shunned and pushed to the edges of society.

“Nope! New York, New York!” Filip was so charged with energy, I could practically see it flickering above his skin.

“How’d you get here?” 

“I dunno, the Allmother said something about my ‘aura’ or something? It’s like, teal, apparently.” We’re all distracted by a bell ringing. I look over to see my bell shaking like mad.

“Oh, I guess I have to go to… the library. I’ve got no idea where that is, could one of you please…?” I ask.

“Sure! I’d like to run into Thor again.” Filip said with a wink. Elle rolled her eyes and Bette dissolved into laughter.

oOo

Filip, not unlike the Queen, led me through so many twists and turns it made my stomach hurt. We finally ascended a grand set of stairs, and there it was. The library. It took up an entire floor and had so many shelves. I gasped and turned in a circle.

“Isaacson. You are not needed.” said a voice from behind me.

“I got to go, Elle’s calling me!” said Filip, despite the fact that we were at least 3 floors away from the Royal Maids’ rooms. 

“Filip-” I stared after him as he ran away

“You are here to do your job as a maid, no?” King Odin asked.

“Yes, your highness. What do you require?” I sighed, turning back to face him. I was a bit confused as to why he was giving orders straight to the maids versus telling the librarian to tell me do it, but either way, it was my job and I would complete it.

“Oh, it’s  _ you. _ ” He spat. I would understand if he didn’t like me, but the pure hatred in his gaze made me shrink.

“Yes, your highness. What do you-”

“ _ Freyrdoitter _ . Daughter of  _ Freyr _ .” 

“Yes, sir, that is my father. I believed you had this information, but-”

“My wife is forcing me to keep you but don’t think I will treat you like anything better but the dirt beneath my feet.” 

“Sir,” I said getting annoyed, “the floor is clean.” 

His one-eyed gaze got even harsher. “There is a new income of crates from Midgard and Niflheim. You will sort them into Midgardian and Niflheimian, and then you will report back to the throne room. No stops to my  _ son’s  _ room.”

“Of course not, your majesty.” I said, before curtseying and walking over to what seemed to be a delivery center. I opened the door to find 2 crates taller than my head. I let out a sigh and dragged a ladder over.  The crates weren’t necessarily large, but I’m pretty tall so the fact that they were taller than me is something to be noted. I started shoving the books around, trying to start some sort of order. There were a few books that sounded interesting, like a Midgardian  _ Harry Potter _ and a couple script books for movies that looked interesting. I then began the tiring task of sorting the books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have mentions of r*pe, so if you're triggered by that I suggest you read other stories rather than this one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Odin is going to r*pe Bette, so if that is going to trigger you, please read another story.

Satisfied that each book was in it's due place, I grinned to myself. Now that  _ that _ was done, I was on my way to the throne room. I was proud, in a way, as I had gotten my task done a lot faster than I thought I would. Hopefully the Allfather would be pleased, or some version of the sort. I stepped out into a hallway, and although the route I took to  _ get _ to the library was foreign to me, I recognized it. I walked as quickly as I could towards my destination, nodding or smiling at guards and other maids along the way. I was approaching the doors to the throne room when I heard muffled voices. I couldn't make out what was being said, but it was definitely King Odin. I stood for a moment, trying to place the second voice. My heartbeat picked up speed when I finally figured out that it was, in fact, Bette. Or I thought so, at least. From the sounds of it, Odin was acting like an utter pig and Bette was crying, occasionally apologizing to her father and Elle. 

I looked around frantically. I knew I couldn’t leave Bette, but I also knew that staying out in the open could be the end of my career in the castle, no matter what the Queen said. I spotted a large pot that appeared to be empty, and crouched behind it. I pressed my ear against the wall, hating myself the whole time. How could I just sit and hide, while the King was abusing a young girl? Bette couldn’t have been much older than my 800 years, meanwhile everyone knew Odin was older than Asgard itself. 

“What are you  _ doing _ ?” shocked me out of my stupor. I glanced up to see Filip standing over me.

“Shut up!” I whispered, waving him towards me. “Do you hear that?” He pressed his ear against the wall as well.

“Is Bette cheating on Elle?” He said, standing up.

“No!” I pulled on his shirt hem. “She keeps apologizing to Elle. I think… I think that’s Odin in there.”   
Filip had already looked angry at the idea of Bette cheating on Elle, but that look had morphed into pure rage. 

“That little-”

“Shhh,” I shushed him, “I think he’s done. Get down-” the moment I pulled him behind the vase the door slammed open. Odin walked off, glancing over his shoulder.

“You do realize that the Allfather is having sex- nonconsensually- with a girl who’s not even 850? Do you know how disgusting that is? I feel like you aren’t concerned enough.”   
“I’m extremely concerned, but I need to make sure Bette is ok. Go back to our room and start making tea, or something.”

“Tea? Or something? Yedda-”

“Shut up and just  _ go.” _

I open the door slowly, not looking back to see if Filip listened to me. Bette was curled up at the foot of the throne, crying. I walked over to her.

“Bette?” I asked, reaching to touch her shoulder gently. She flinched away from my hand. “Bette, I’m not… him. I’m Yedda. I met you earlier?”  She looked up at me, absolutely terrified, eyes still shiny with tears. “Bette, we gotta get you cleaned up. It’s ok. No one else other than me and Filip knows. Come back to our room, we can say you’re off… polishing something.” I tugged on her arm. She rose, shakily, to her feet and I marveled at her bravery. I then realized that I had no idea how to get back without using the main passageways. I, of course, knew who would know hidden shortcuts, but I would never make Bette’s story be exposed to anyone els-

“Father?” Bette took a step back, and I turned to see Loki standing in the doorway. He seemed extremely confused, rightfully so, and I gestured for him to come closer.

“What's going on here?” He said, shooting Bette a worried glance. She just stood there, looking at the ground.

“I don't have time to explain right now. I just need to know the quickest way to our room. I would prefer if it was a bit more discreet, as you may be able to tell.” He nodded after a moment.

“Alright, but you can't complain.”

“Definitely not.” he nodded again, and I saw a flash of green. There was a brief sensation of falling, and then I was standing in my room.  I turned, and Bette was there too, wearing a similar expression to that of which you found her with. I reached out to her a second too late, for she fell to her knees. I dropped down along with her.

“Bette-”

“What the hell?” A very surprised Filip stood in the corner, teapot in hand. And then, of course, his bell started ringing. He grabbed it from the hook, patted Bette on the back gently, and walked out the door. 

“Bette, what’s wrong?” I asked her, bringing her into my arms. The prince stood awkwardly, like he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t leave, though. 

Bette still wasn’t saying anything, so I led her over to my desk and sat her down. She buried her head in her arms, not looking up even when I started making the tea. The silence was becoming unbearable, so I decided to break it.

“Y’know, I’m really a terrible cook. I can barely fry an egg, but my family always said I could the best cup of tea they’d ever had. An exaggeration, of course, but-” I fell quiet when I saw that Bette still hadn’t moved. “Bette, do you wish to take a shower?” she nodded, and I helped her into the shower rooms. She took off her torn dress that definitely wasn’t ripped that morning, and stepped into the showers. 

“Bette? If you need anything, I’ll be right inside my room. Just… just call, ok?” I called. She still didn’t respond, but I stepped back into my room. I was a bit surprised that the prince was still there, but I didn’t pay any attention to him. 

Okay, that’s a lie. I walked around, aimlessly straightening things that didn’t need to be straightened. Eventually, I just grabbed the top book off the stack on my desk and fell onto my bed. 

_It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife._  My book starts.

“Why weren’t you surprised?” the prince asks. 

“Hmm?” I look up

“Earlier. I read your mind and you didn’t even react.”

“Oh, that. Everyone knows that you’re a witch.” I said, returning to my book.

“I’m not a witch!”

“You quite literally called me a witch earlier, on the premise that it ‘sounded dramatic’.” 

“You aren’t wrong.” the trickster prince checked the clock. “Seems it’s time for me to escort you.”

“No. I can’t leave Bette!” I said, more ferociously then I meant.

“I’ll be fine, Yedda. I’ll just stay in your room unless I’m called somewhere.” I hear through the door. 

“Are you sure, Bette?”

“Completely. Elle will be back soon, anyways.” She calls.

“Whatever you say…” I trail off, before jumping down from the bunk, landing gracefully, much more gracefully than I ever could at home.  “Let us go, your highness.” 

He told me to change into my gardener’s outfit, before walking out and closing the door softly. I quickly changed, and burst through the door. Loki started, before shushing me and pointing down the hallway. Filip and Thor were kissing each other violently, and I bit on my hand to keep myself from laughing. I caught Loki’s eye and he looked just as delighted as I felt. 

_ I can’t believe… Thor, of all people… _ Again, I heard the prince’s voice, but his mouth didn't move. It was like I was listening to a radio with faulty connection, and I couldn’t hear all of it. Before I could say anything, though, he put his hand on my shoulder and we were at the end of the hallway, beyond the prince and Filip.

We walked out of the castle into the back gardens. The Queen was standing there, and I couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the fact that some of the most powerful people in the castle were going out of their way to tend to me, though I supposed I would get used to it.

I curtseyed to the queen before rising to my feet. “What do you wish me to do, your majesty?” 

“Show me how much control you have. Plant a seed and have it grow.” She pointed to a small girl who was holding a basket of seed packets. I smiled at the girl before selecting a packet of strawberry seeds. 

“Are there… tools?” I ask, turning around.

“Of course, dear.” She pointed again to a shed. I nodded and walked over. It wasn’t far, but I felt faint when I got there.  _ Most likely the heat..  _ I told myself as I selected a pair of gloves, a watering can, and a trowel. Once I was back at the garden, the Queen and the prince sat on a bench not too far away-within sight but out of hearing range. They were talking quietly to themselves as I planted the strawberry seeds. After watering them, I looked up to find the Queen smiling at me. She gestured at the ground when we made eye contact, and I held out my hands as I did yesterday. I felt like an idiot, trying to call to something that I barely believed was even there, and the longer we sat the more frustrated I felt. I thought about the feeling I felt yesterday- that something had clicked inside me- and I tried to bring that feeling back, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t make the plant sprout. I was so enveloped in what I was doing, that I didn't notice a small group of soldiers approaching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos if you’ve gotten this far!!


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